


Dark wings rise

by loverdrive



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-07-06
Packaged: 2021-03-01 16:49:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23730355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loverdrive/pseuds/loverdrive
Summary: This work is a part of April Exchange atMiraculous FanfictionDiscord serverFor justawritter#8378Thanks toKhanofallorcs,wellsaltedladyand fifthcentaurus for proofreading.Marinette is sweet. Marinette is helpful. Marinette isgood. You can say all these things, of course, but that's only the surface.Marinette is sweet, but only because she is afraid to get into fight.Marinette is helpful, but only because she doesn't know how to say "no".Marinette isgood, but only because she holds no power.But what would she do if she did?
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14
Collections: April 2020 - AU





	1. Episode 1. The Pilot.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> INT. - interior  
> EXT. - exterior  
> o.s. - off-screen  
> v.o. - voice over

TEASER

FADE IN:

EXT. TROCADÉRO - SUNSET

Lights of evening Paris dance, reflected in viscous red liquid that flows in beautiful patterns like it is one of the best of Hoyland’s paintings.

But that’s not the centerpiece, no. The centerpiece is a girl right in the middle of the sea of red, her body twisted in unnatural ways, her golden hair is dirty and matted, her eyes full of fear.

Her muscles are still twitching, but the reality is simple: she is dead, even if she refuses to accept that.

Several people - police officers, paramedics, some douchebag in a designer suit - argue and scream and panic over her body, but we hear nothing but the deafening droning of suspenseful music.

END TEASER

OPENING CREDITS ROLL

CUT TO:

INT. BAKERY - MARINETTE’S ROOM - MORNING

We open in the cozy, almost sickeningly cute room of a teenage girl. Pan to show the boy band posters and adorable hamster photos which adorn its walls.

DING! DING! DING!

A pretty brunette girl, looking tired and scared even when half-asleep, is putting all her efforts into ignoring the beeping sound of an alarm clock.

WOMAN (o.s.):

Marinette! Your alarm's been going off for fifteen minutes! You're going to be late for your first day back at school!

Marinette grudgingly snaps her sky blue eyes open.

MARINETTE:

Got it, mom!

She sits up on her bed in a jerky motion and hastily and clumsily dresses up.

Just before exiting the room, she pulls a BUTTERFLY-SHAPED BROOCH out of the table drawer and puts it on.

EXT. BAKERY - OUTSIDE - MORNING

SABINE CHENG, Marinette’s mother sits at the lone table in front of the bakery, unlit cigarette in hand. Her face looks young, late twenties tops, but her body language betrays a great weight on her shoulders, her eyes filled with remorse and melancholy.

Marinette walks a bit too fast through the front door, clenching a box of her macarons so hard that the edges are slightly bent and deformed, looking worried and anxious. Her mother instantly snaps out of her trance, almost perfect happy smile on her face. Almost.

SABINE:

Why the long face? Aren’t you happy to see your friends again?

MARINETTE:

Chloé. I bet you my right arm, that… witch will be in my class again.

Sabine just barely sells that “Oh! No!” look.

SABINE:

Four years in a row? Is that even possible?

MARINETTE:

Lucky me.

On the verge of turning to full gallop, Marinette strides away and her mother watches her off with a sad smile.

INT. COLLÈGE FRANÇOISE DUPONT - CLASSROOM - MORNING

A normal, almost stereotypical classroom - chatting, gossiping, some arguing kids, but nothing serious.

Suddenly everyone gets quiet, forming an eye of the storm around Marinette and another girl, BLONDE wearing all kinds of jewelry and designer clothes - over the top, expensive, but tasteless.

Disgust is painted all over the blonde's face. Another girl stands just behind her, afraid to act out of the line - the blonde’s MINION, nothing more.

BLONDE:

Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

Marinette is not annoyed or angry, she is just tired.

MARINETTE:

Oh, here we go again.

BLONDE:

That’s my seat.

MARINETTE:

But, Chloé, this has always been my seat.

Blonde glares at her, losing patience quickly. She is not going to take “no” for an answer.

MINION:

Not anymore! New year, new seats!

CHLOÉ:

So why don't you just go and sit beside that new girl over there? Listen. Adrien's arriving today, and since that's going to be his seat, this is going to be my seat. Get it?

Marinette shrugs and sighs. She doesn’t really care where she sits and just doesn’t want to deal with Chloé’s bullshit.

She stands up, ready to switch places and turns to her tormentor one last time.

MARINETTE:

Who’s Adrien, anyway?

Both Chloé and her minion explode with laughter. Again, too much. She is not that good at keeping up all the mean bitch façade. Her minion, on the other hand, is almost natural.

CHLOÉ:

Can you believe she doesn't know who Adrien is? What rock have you been living under? And you call yourself a designer? Pathetic. Utterly pathetic.

MINION:

He's only a famous model.

Another REDHEAD, tall and well-built, forcefully grabs Chloé’s shoulder and spins her around.

REDHEAD:

Hey, you. Who elected you Queen of Seats?

CHLOÉ:

Oh, look, Sabrina! We've got a little do-gooder in our class this year. What are you gonna do, super newbie? Shoot beams at me with your glasses?

REDHEAD:

Wouldn’t you like to know?

Her lips twist into a wicked smile, as she drags Marinette towards the front seats and throws the last glance to Chloé.

REDHEAD (CONT’D):

Watch your back, queen of seats.

They sit together, redhead is steady and composed, Marinette shaking, slightly, but visible.

MARINETTE:

I so wish I could handle Chloé the way you do.

REDHEAD:

You mean the way Majestia does? She says all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing. Well, that girl over there is absolutely evil, and we are the good people. We can't let her get away with it.

MARINETTE:

Well, that's easier said than done. She likes to make my life miserable.

REDHEAD:

That's cause you let her, girl! You just need more confidence!

She reaches her hand to Marinette, offering a handshake and the brunette returns it, weakly and unsure.

REDHEAD:

Alya. Alya Césaire.

MARINETTE:

Marinette. Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

CUT TO:

INT. BAKERY - MARINETTE’S ROOM - NOON.

Marinette is sitting on her bed, clenching her phone, her knuckles white. She looks… broken. Tired. Angry.

She clicks on the RECORD.

MARINETTE:

Dear diary, you already know it, but I hate my life, I hate myself, I hate everything and everyone around me. I hate how they all walk all over me. You know, dear diary, we’re alike in many ways? Both useless, both spineless. I can say whatever mean things I’d want to you and the only thing you will do is remember whatever nasty words I’ve said to you. Just like me, huh?

She stands up and starts to pace around the room.

MARINETTE (CONT’D):

But I won’t. You know why? Because I don’t care about you. I don’t take you seriously. You may have never existed and nothing would change. Sounds familiar, huh?

In a fit of futile anger, she turns over a mannequin which lands with a loud THUMP and unpleasant noise of tearing clothes.

MARINETTE (CONT’D):

Even my parents never take me seriously.

in a mockingly low voice)

Uh yeah fashion, yes, Marinette, we are very proud of you!

(in a mockingly high pitch)

Yes, sweetie! You are going to be a famous designer! Or you will work at the bakery! FOR THE REST OF YOUR MISERABLE LIFE!

She sighs, on the verge of breaking into tears, but composes herself.

MARINETTE (CONT’D):

But that’s gonna change. The new girl I met today, Alya, is on my side, at least for now. I guess she sees some ways she can use me that I don’t see. She said “all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing”. So I will not do nothing anymore. I will fight back-

Her eyes land on… something peeking out of her bed. She angrily dives forward, attempting to catch whatever rodent has gotten in her room.

And she does.

She holds a tiny purple creature tightly and is about to throw it out of the window when it speaks.

RODENT:

Wait! Mistress! Marinette!

MARINETTE:

What are you, and how do you know my name?

The creature backs off a bit. It is scared. And Marinette savours the feeling of someone being scared of her for the first time in her life.

RODENT:

I am a kwami, and my name is Nooro, I am a part of your brooch, the Butterfly Miraculous! I grant powers-

MARINETTE:

Like super-powers?

NOROO:

Yes and-

MARINETTE:

Oh boy I will fight back.

Her lips curve in a devilish grin.

MARINETTE:

I accept your deal.

CUT TO:

EXT. PARISIAN STREETS - SUNSET

A figure, clad in black, PURPLE AND SILVER - a black three-piece, purple shirt, fancy silver masquerade mask and, of course, a stylish cane - walks down the street, nonchalantly and flashily.

She stands out and she knows it. She is happy about it.

She hears a WHISTLE from a nearby back alley. Three DOUCHEBAGS - just kids pretending they have the biggest balls in the world - stand there, obviously checking her out.

She approaches them, calmly and confidently.

PURPLE-AND-SILVER:

Get lost.

DOUCHEBAG:

Oh, hot stuff, you’re no fun.

As an answer, a silvered cane hits his knee, probably dislocating and/or fracturing his kneecap. He falls on the ground and Purple-and-Silver puts her foot on his chest.

The other two are scared shitless - they are all bark and no bite. They sprint off, as fast as they can.

Purple-and-Silver smiles, amused.

PURPLE-AND-SILVER:

Here’s your fun.

She kicks him in the chest and he screams in pain as one or two of his ribs crack.

PURPLE-AND-SILVER (CONT’D):

Oh so much fun.

She jumps out of view, leaving the kid lying on the ground, panting and screaming.

INT. BAKERY - MARINETTE’S ROOM - SUNSET

Purple-and-Silver lands through the trapdoor on the ceiling.

Purple-and-Silver:

Dark wings fall.

In a flash of deathly purple light she disappears and Marinette stands in her place, slightly shorter and less curvy than her alter-ego. A little bit less intimidating.

But only a little.

She is wearing a devilish grin, no one has ever seen any expression like this on her cute face. Ever.

She is not smiling like she wants you to like her. She is not smiling like she is faking it. She is not smiling at all.

Right now, she is grinning. She is grinning like she is alive, alive for the first time in her whole life.

Right now, she looks like she owns the world, dripping with confidence and determination.

Right now, she is not a harmless little cutie pie, no kitten eyes or adorable pigtails.

Right now, she is not begging for your acceptance or approval.

Right now, you’d better step the fuck out of her way.

Suddenly, she drops all the act and dives into her bed, excitedly screaming into her pillow like a teenage girl who just got an autograph from her idol.

She freaks out, she punches the air, she breathes loudly, in and out, hyperventilating.

MARINETTE:

Oh, that was so… Awesome!

Nooroo floats near her face, looking worried.

NOOROO:

Mistress, I am so sorry, I don’t want to sound rude, but was any of that necessary?

Marinette smirks.

MARINETTE:

Oh yeah, it was. It worked, right? I doubt any of these guys will do anything stupid ever again.

NOOROO:

Speaking from my experience, fear was never an effective motivator. It strikes me as something that a bully would do.

MARINETTE:

I am not a bully, I’m just showing real bullies their place. You know, fight fire with fire.

NOOROO:

But-

MARINETTE:

Can you please be quiet? I am having a moment and you are ruining it.

Nooroo’s jaw muscles tighten, his confusion turns into panic. His tiny lips melt and grow softer, merging together as he desperately tries to separate them, until even the slightest trace of mouth is gone. Gone like it had never existed in the first place.

The devilish grin returns to Marinette’s face once again, the same scary grin we saw just a few moments before.

For the first time in her life, she is in control and she will not let some annoying talking rat-bug tell her what she can or cannot do.

MARINETTE:

Much better.

CUT TO:

INT. COLLÈGE FRANÇOISE DUPONT - CLASSROOM - NOON

Marinette looks a bit more confident than the day before - not purple-and-silver confident, but still not the usual “please leave me alone I’ll do anything” Marinette.

She enters the classroom with Alya at her side and both stop in the doorway at the sight of a new SUNSHINE BOY placing gum on her seat.

MARINETTE:

Hey! What are you doing?

Sunshine boy awkwardly scratches his neck. He clearly tries to say something, but is interrupted with Chloé and her minion laughing.

MARINETTE:

Okay, good job, you three. Very funny.

SUNSHINE BOY:

No, no! I was just trying to take this off!

MARINETTE:

Oh, really? Whatever.

Marinette and Alya take their seats, lower their voices and continue chatting.

ALYA:

Like one spoiled rich brat is not enough, huh? Daddy’s little teen supermodel and Chloé’s buddy?

Marinette’s face lights up,a spark in her eyes and a very familiar devilish grin on her lips.

ALYA:

Oh, don’t tell me you are in love with this douchebag at first glance.

MARINETTE:

Oh, no, absolutely not, but let’s put it that way: I’m gonna have my eyes on-

PUNCH! Then, THUMP!

Everyone confusedly turns to the back of the class to see the token OUTSIDER already on top of the token JOCK, his fist raised and ready to punch that sorry face again.

OUTSIDER:

So, who’s wuss, Kim?

TEACHER:

Ivan! To the principal's office, now!

He reluctantly gets up and marches out the classroom.

The jock - Kim, apparently - gets up too, sporting a serious bruise, his eyes full of poorly masked fear. He shouts after Ivan.

KIM:

You are, Ivan! It was a sucker punch, you dumb wuss!

Marinette smirks and quickly leaves the room, as no one is paying attention to her.

Moments later, a black butterfly phases through the window, unnoticed, and then disappears into something in Ivan’s clenched fist. His eyes start to glow deathly purple and he stares into nothingness.

IVAN:

(a beat)

Yes, Hawk Moth.

A black fog envelops him, he grows, rapidly and after only a moment, a giant STONE-MONSTER stands in his place - ten feet tall, just as wide, straight from the Fantastic fucking Four.

The class, of course, bursts into panic. Some cower, some scream, others freeze and Kim jumps right out the open window.

STONE-MONSTER:

Oh, I will give you a headstart.

CHLOÉ:

I am calling daddy! You better get back to that sorry loser form you had before or-

Stone-monster just grabs her and breaks right through the wall, chasing after Kim to...

EXT. PARISIAN STREETS - CONTINUOUS

With each thundering step, the stone-monster closes on his prey - unrelenting and unstoppable.

Suddenly, a blur of black flashes through the scene. It’s the mighty CHAT NOIR - handsome, flashy and a little too excited, like he’s not in the middle of a life-and-death situation, but in Disneyland or at Willy Wonka’s.

CHAT NOIR:

The cat-valry is here!

With an over exaggerated swing, he lands a DEVASTATING BLOW with enough force to send the stone-head somewhere towards the orbit of Venus.

Apparently, not enough - he doesn’t even flinch, instead…

…he GROWS BIGGER AND MEANER and explodes with laughter…

…and lunges his ton-heavy fist to crush Chat.

Chat barely pulls off a dodge…

…and jumps onto the hand of stone.

CUT TO:

INT. COLLÈGE FRANÇOISE DUPONT - CLASSROOM - CONTINUOUS

Marinette looks at the battle from the classroom window, amused and curious, while others cower and hide and run away.

MARINETTE:

Who the fuck is this guy?

EXT. PARISIAN STREET - CONTINUOUS

Chat Noir, sitting on top of the stone-monster’s hand, tries to free Chloé, using his baton as a lever to open the stone fist, unsuccessfully…

Stone-monster aims to crush him with his other fist…

…and Chat uses all of his strength to stop the fist, his baton lost with a loud metallic CLANK!

CHAT NOIR:

Look! What’s the deal with you?! Maybe we can-

The giant stone-fist opens up and a PIECE OF PAPER flies out of it.

But that’s not the point, even if our gaze follows that little paper and stays there.

The point is, the giant stone-fist opens up, grabs Chat Noir and tosses him away. He flies right through the wall of a nearby building and disappears in the cloud of dust and debris.

STONE-MONSTER:

Punny cat.

With thundering stops, he strides away.

Only a few moments later, Marinette runs towards the piece of paper, carefully takes it and hides into the inner-pocket.

MARINETTE:

You are safe now, my little precious akuma.

CUT TO:

INT. BAKERY - MARINETTE’S ROOM - SUNSET

Marinette is sitting comfortably in front of her computer screen, watching a newscast about her tiny little project. The camera is trained on the stone-monster on top of the Eiffel tower, seemingly terrified Chloé in his hand.

MARINETTE:

Yes! Oh boy, she is scared shitless! Good job, Ivan!

She hears some noise in the bakery below. Unfamiliar voice. Some kind of far-eastern accent - FU, remember that name for now. Concerned.

Another voice - her mother. Kind on the surface, but actually cold and furious.

Marinette turns the volume down just a little bit, enough to hear them a bit more clearly, but not enough to raise suspicions, and listens.

FU (o.s.):

I am sorry, auntie! It’s not my fault! I gave out the earrings and the ring right after Wayzz sensed the Butterfly awakening!

Sabine almost chokes on whatever she was drinking.

SABINE (o.s.; angrily):

You did what?!

(a bit; kind, but cold again)

Okay, Fu. You leave me no choice. I’m taking the matters in my own hands.

FU (o.s.):

But, auntie-

SABINE (o.s.):

You are dismissed.

Marinette’s face is plagued with concern now.

The newscast switches to some man - a douchebag in a designer suit, surrounded by all sorts of police officers - with a megaphone in his hands.

MAN:

I demand my daughter's safe return!

The voice over the computer speakers is loud enough to make Marinette pay attention to the screen instead.

STONE-MONSTER:

You know what? You're welcome to her!

In one moment, everything changes.

The stone-monster tosses Chloé towards the man like she’s some kind of useless garbage, uncaring of her fate.

She lands, hard, every bone in her body broken, blood streaming down from the fractured skull. We come full circle to the teaser now - the same Hoyland’s painting of red, the same horror in the poor girl’s eyes.

Marinette gasps and covers her mouth with her hand, starting to shake and on the verge of some serious freak out.

MARINETTE:

Oh God… 

FADE OUT.


	2. Episode 2. Everything is normal... Right?

FADE IN:

TEASER

EXT. PÈRE LACHAISE CEMETERY - NOON.

Black. Black three-piece suits, black dresses, black umbrellas, black closed casket. What’d you expect from a funeral scene?

Certainly not relief painted on the few faces present. They are not flat-out happy, but a treasonous little thought — good riddance — is creeping down their minds.

Except for one boy who is clearly devastated.

Shaking. Two-thousand-yard stare. Adrien.

END TEASER

OPENING CREDITS ROLL.

INT. BAKERY - MARINETTE’S ROOM - DEAD OF THE NIGHT.

Marinette sits on the floor, leaning against the wall in the corner of her room and WEEPS quietly.

She doesn’t cover her face, she doesn’t wipe the tears from her eyes, she barely even moves - these are not tears over a fight with parents or a high-school girl crush.

These are tears of stressful realisation that a high-school girl was crushed to death because of her impulsive and unnecessary actions.

She stares into nothingness, thousands of yards away, past all the cute little things in her room. She stares right into the abyss itself.

Does it stare back?

FADE TO:

INT. BAKERY - MARINETTE’S ROOM - MORNING.

Marinette is still leaning against the wall, sleeping a bit too peacefully. A tiny purple creature hugs her cheek.

Reluctant KNOCK.

Nooroo instantly backs off as she begins to slowly open her eyes. She doesn’t want to return to the harsh reality of living with the consequences of her actions.

She doesn’t respond.

Another, slightly more insistent KNOCK.

She stands up and stretches, her back clearly hurts from sleeping in an unnatural position.

Another reluctant KNOCK.

She doesn’t respond.

She methodically fixes her ruined makeup and changes her clothes.

KNOCK. KNOCK.

She approaches the door and then realizes the sound isn’t coming from there.

It’s from above. She gazes at her skylight.

Chat Noir. He looks like he hasn’t slept in a decade, his breath is shallow and his right arm dangles uselessly at his side, but he waves at her with a cheery smile and shows her a big bucket of ice cream.

She hesitantly opens the trapdoor.

CHAT NOIR

You okay?

She stares him in the eyes, scrutinizing his intentions. _Why is he here? Does he know? How? What happened to him?_ She glances at his arm. _Is he okay?_

MARINETTE

Am I… in danger?

CHAT NOIR

No! I mean, no, it’s okay. The, uh, situation is under control.

MARINETTE

Then why are you here?

CHAT NOIR

To check on you. I know you were close, it must be hard.

She is getting even more suspicious with each passing moment.

MARINETTE

What’s with the ice cream?

He awkwardly scratches his neck. _Comes up with a lie?_

CHAT NOIR

Uh… I’m not that good at dealing with people, but I heard it’s something you bring to someone who is sad.

_Are you kidding me? He’s hiding something._

MARINETTE

Again, why are you here?

CHAT NOIR

Uh… To share my condolences, first and foremost?

She still doesn’t move nor doesn’t let him enter the room.

CHAT NOIR

Look, Marinette. I know that it’s, uhm, unusual to see a superhero at your doorstep out of the blue, but really you know me outside the mask. But I get it. You want to be alone - I get it.

He turns around to leave.

MARINETTE

Actually.

(a beat)

I could use some company.

She climbs up the ladder and sits cross-legged, bucket of ice cream on her knees, but she doesn’t touch it.

MARINETTE

You look like shit, you know? You alright?

CHAT NOIR

I’m going to be okay. Occupational hazards, I guess. Spots says everything’s going to heal magically when it’s over.

MARINETTE

It’s… It’s not over?

CHAT NOIR

Nothing you should worry about right now. He isn’t going to do anything funky right now. How do you feel?

MARINETTE

All of it… It’s… devastating. That’s all I got to say.

CHAT NOIR

I knew her too, quite well, I’d say. But-

(he shrugs uncomfortably)

The saddest thing is — I actually feel nothing. Yeah, I feel and I am guilty for failing as a superhero, but that’s not it. I… I just lost my only friend, and the only thing I can think of is “so what now?”

She almost falls back to her scary, calculating devilish side, but pushes it down. No, not right now.

MARINETTE

You were friends?

CHAT NOIR

Well, I’m not so sure anymore. Maybe I’m just an asshole that deserves no friends. What am I supposed to feel? What do you feel? She was your friend, right?

MARINETTE

No, she wasn’t. She hated my guts.

CHAT NOIR

I don’t know if it’s my place to say… But she talked about you, like, non-stop.

She shifts, uncomfortably, and averts her gaze.

MARINETTE

I don’t know if I want to talk about her. Thinking about it makes it… real.

(a beat)

So, anyway, the city is safe?

CHAT NOIR

Well, kinda. A new hero showed up and she managed to restrain him, but we need to find the possessed object… well, to stop him for good.

MARINETTE

I think… I think I have the object.

She fishes a blackened piece of paper from her inner pocket.

MARINETTE

Ivan dropped it and… I picked it up for some reason. Will it help?

CHAT NOIR

I don’t know. Let’s hope so.

CUT TO:

EXT. EIFFEL TOWER - CONTINUOUS.

The stone-monster is entangled in a web of yoyo-string. He isn’t even the slightest bit menacing anymore, he is like a fly at the mercy of a black widow. Or, in this case, a RED-AND-BLACK widow.

She looks like an imperfect carbon copy of Marinette, like a version of her from a parallel universe that shouldn’t exist. She doesn’t smile, she doesn’t frown, she doesn’t express any trace of emotion. God must’ve blinked when she was vomited out of some poor woman’s womb or simply forgot to give her a soul. Her face and posture are completely mechanical, deep in the uncanny valley.

Exhausted, Chat Noir lands weakly behind her. She doesn’t acknowledge him.

CHAT NOIR

Hey? I found it.

He approaches and hands her the paper. With zero wasted muscle movement she takes it, tears it apart and as the stone-monster is enveloped in a purple mist, she captures the black butterfly with her yoyo.

RED-AND-BLACK

Miraculous Ladybug.

Thousands and thousands of magical ladybugs swarm all around Paris, everything they touch turns to normal. Debris fields turn to buildings, blood puddles vanish, even corpses begin coughing and revive, confused.

Everything is normal.

RED-AND-BLACK

Don’t let him escape.

She stands still as Chat Noir runs to check on disoriented Ivan who isn’t even thinking about escape. She stands still, until the police show up and pack the kid up, despite Chat’s protests.

Only then does she zips away.

INT. BAKERY - MARINETTE’S ROOM - DAY.

Marinette is hyperventilating and pacing around the room. Then her gaze locks on Nooroo and she stops dead in her tracks.

MARINETTE

Oh, I am so sorry! Sorry! You can have your mouth back! Oh, what should I do to make everything right?!

She doesn’t need to do anything - Nooroo’s mouth slowly reforms.

NOOROO

May I speak, my mistress?

MARINETTE

Of course! I am so sorry! I was power-tripping and then I was stressed, I am so sorry I forgot about you!

NOOROO

No need to apologize, my mistress. I do understand. May I ask for some food, please? Normally I wouldn’t-

MARINETTE

Of course, yes! What’s your favourite?

NOOROO

Whatever makes the least inconvenience to you, my mistress.

She instantly rushes downstairs and returns a few moments after with a plate full of various pastries, cheeses, sweets and fruits.

NOOROO

Thank you.

Nooroo takes a slice of cheese and eats it with otherworldly dignity, even if he is clearly hungry - no chewing noise, no crumbs sprinkled.

MARINETTE

You like it?

He chews carefully and only then proceeds to respond.

NOOROO

Yes, my mistress. I must also thank you for giving me a choice, it is highly appreciated.

She collapses on a chair with a sigh of relief.

MARINETTE

At least I did something right. Ugh.

NOOROO

It wasn’t your fault. With all due respect, you don’t have any experience nor training and I must stress that the Butterfly holder gives people power. It’s their call how to use it.

Marinette isn’t convinced.

MARINETTE

But it was my fault! I shouldn’t have use my power for such stupid things!

NOOROO

I do believe you will do better next time, my mistress. You weren’t given an opportunity to learn how to use your Miraculous, so mistakes are to be expected. But all’s well that ends well, after all.

She finally rests, defeated.

MARINETTE

Ri-ight. I just hope Ivan is okay.

CUT TO:

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM - BEHIND THE GLASS - TIME UNKNOWN.

A man clears his throat and pushes the button on the intercom.

We don’t see his face, he doesn’t shake, but he looks somewhat tense.

MAN

(in English)

Sir, we just received an update, it’s urgent.

A gun is tightly pressed to the back of his skull. The pale hand clenching the grip belongs to a woman in AVIATOR GLASSES that conceal most of her face.

She puts her other hand on the side of his head and… He passes out. No struggle, no suffocation, no broken neck. He just falls asleep, peacefully.

The door opens and MILLER, white douchebag in his forties comes in. Even though he looks very sleep deprived, with dark circles under his eyes, unshaven beard and oily hair, he holds himself uptight. Military bearing isn’t something that goes away easily.

MILLER

To what do I owe such honour?

AVIATORS

Don’t you already know, sweetie. Would you kindly help me out?

She speaks like a loving mother, with a tone reminiscent of cookies and warm milk, just slightly… off — cold and harsh undertones float just beneath the surface.

MILLER

With all due respect, ma’am, why did you even think I’d tell you anything? You are not authorized for any of this.

AVIATORS

Saying “with all due respect” and proceeding to be disrespectful somewhat defeats the purpose, don't you think?

MILLER

I can’t help you, it’s classified. Sorry.

Suddenly, his body is slammed against the wall with an invisible force. He can’t move a muscle, each of his limbs is pressed tightly to the concrete.

Her expression changes in a split-second. All the cold fury that was hidden under a half-smile is now on full display. No one messes with this woman.

AVIATORS

Don’t test my patience. You owe me one, Miller. In fact, you owe me two.

She takes a step forward and takes off her glasses — she is no one other than Sabine Cheng.She looks him straight in the eye.

SABINE (CONT’D)

Or should I revoke my favors?

She releases him from the invisible grasp and he slides down the wall and half-sits against the wall, trying to catch his breath — it wasn’t his first time, but it’s not something one can get used to.

SABINE

So... What did you find?

MILLER

Okay, okay, for Christ's sake!

We traced the grimoire. It’s in the private collection of the Graham de Vanily family.

He stands up and stretches his muscles. Grunts in pain.

MILLER (CONT’D)

No record of jewels, though.

SABINE

Well, they do look cheap — ancient chinese tome is probably more notable.

(a beat)

Graham de Vanily, you say. Keep an eye on Gabriel Agreste.

MILLER

Who do you think I am? Nothing suspicious. At the time of the incident he was at the Pitié-Salpêtrière, staring at his vegetable wife.

SABINE

Keep looking. Do you really think the black butterfly has crossed La Manche?

(a beat)

Anyway, I’m taking over. Prepare the paperwork.

She turns to leave stunned Miller alone.

MILLER

What about the kid?

SABINE

Bury him for all I care. It was his choice to run haywire and massacre innocent people, akuma or not. And call Locke. We need to set up the Dome Protocol.

MILLER

Don’t you think we should evacuate people?

SABINE

And let that fucker escape and strike another city? Are you serious, captain? You are getting soft.

(a beat)

No word of things that happened here should escape Paris. Am I clear?

MILLER

Yes, ma’am.

FADE OUT.


End file.
